Axle straightener



- Jan. 3, 1939. W 1 JOHNSTON 2,142,850

AXLE S TRAIGHTENER Filed Deo. 1936 nl? lg) l ATH,

Patented Jan. 3, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AXLE STRAIGHTENER William James Johnston, Ilondon, Ontario, Canada, assigner to Albert Speare Lashbrook, London, Ontario, Canada Application December 3, 1936, Serial No. 114,001

8 Claims. (Cl. 153-32) This invention relates to axle straighteners bly a saddle is slidably supported on the base and more particularly to the type for bending portion Ib and is provided with lateral extensions and twisting axles of motor vehicles and my ob- 5a, 5b. ject is to provide simple apparatus of this char- In Fig. 2 is illustrated the hook-up for bending 5 acter which is cheap to manufacture, yet rugged an axle 6 upwardly without removing it from g' in construction and adapted for use on axles the vehicle. A short clevis 'I engaging the up-. either on or off the vehicles. A further object is per surface of the axle is connected with the to so construct the apparatus that it may be extension Ia by a bolt 8 passed through one of readily handled in a minimum of space and with the holes 2. The other end of the member I is 10 a minimum of leffort both in making the necesconnected with the axle by a long clevis 9 hav- 10 sary hook-ups for rperforming different operaing a bolt III passed through one of the holes tions and in doing them. 3. The jack II rests on the saddle 5 and engages I attain my objects by providing legs for supthe underside of the axle between the clevises porting the apparatus when it is desired to bend 1, 9. If the short clevis 'I is engaging the upan axle longitudinally of a vehicle to which the wardly inclined outer end of the axle, a distance 15 axle is attached. The apparatus includes a rigid block I2 is inserted between the clevis and a part member which is secured to the axle or to a of the vehicle such as the adjacent spring to prepart connected therewith before performing any vent displacement of the clevis. By shifting the operation. A jack engaging the rigid member long clevis relative to the short clevis and the is used to apply pressure to the axle by direct enjack relative to the clevises, the straightening 20 gagement therewith or through the medium of a bends in the axle may be made long or short jaw embracing the axle when itis desired to twist to suit the requirements necessary to straighten the axle. The jaw is provided with an adjustthe axle. able arm for facilitating the twisting of the axle. In Fig. 3 is shown part of an axle removed from The 'constructions are hereinafter more fully a vehicle and being bent downwardly by an up- 25 described and are illustrated in the accompanyward pressure of the jack II. In this case, the

ing drawing in whichaxle is secured to the end of the extension I8L Fig. 1 is a perspective View of the rigid member by means of a clamp I3. If the axle were on the of my device; vehicle, the clevis 'I would be used to secure the Fig. 2 a front elevation of a part of a vehicle member to the axle and the clamp I3 would not 30 showing the axle thereon being bent upwardly; be required in this case.

Fig. 3 a front elevation of an axle showing The clamp I3 would be substituted for the it being bent downwardly by an upward pressure; clevis 'I in Fig. 2, if it is desired to bend the Fig. 4 a perspective view of part of a vehicle axle upwardly and the axle has rst been reshowing the axle thereon being bent longitumoved from a vehicle. 35 dinally of the vehicle; In Fig. 4 is illustrated the hook-up for bending Fig. 5 a front elevation of part of a vehicle an axle longitudinally of a vehicle while conshowing the axle twisting attachment; nected with the vehicle. The4 hook-up here is Fig. 6 a cross-section on the line S-S in Fig. 5; similar to that shown in Fig. 3 except that the 40 and rigid member I has been swung 90 about the 40 Fig. '7 a cross-section on the line l-l in Fig. 5. axle so that its sides are now parallel to the In the drawing like numerals of reference inlicor and the end of the extension Ia engages dicate corresponding parts in the different ga block I4 bearing against the front side of the ures. axle.' To support the member I in this position I is a rigid member which may be formed of the legs 4 are adjust-ably carried by the member 4-5 two parts-rigidly secured together in spaced relaso that the ends of the legs will rest on the iioor. tionship to one another as shown. The member The adjustable connection between the legs and I is preferably of L-shape, the upright extension member I may be formed by bolt and slot con- Ia thereof being provided with a series of holes nections I5 in these parts. The bolts are carried 5o 2 and the base portion Ib being provided with a by lugs or distance pieces I6 extending across 50 series of holes 3. To the base portion Ib of the the space between the two parts of the memmember are secured legs 4 which extend laterally ber I whereby the surfaces of the base portions from both sides of the base Ib and are adapted Ib on which the saddle 5 rests areclear to permit to rest on'a iloor to prevent the tipping of the the shifting of the saddle to any position longimember when in an upright position. Preferatudinally thereof. By operating the jack, pres- 55 sure is exerted against the axle to cause it to bend rearwardly of the vehicle. It will be noted that the extension Ia on the member I enables this operation to be performed without the need of a second jack or a separate distance piece between one end of the member and the axle.

Referring to Fig. 4, if it is desired to bend the axle forwardly of the vehicle, the clevis 'I is connected with the extension I@ after being positioned around the axle, and the jack is shifted to a position between the clevises 'I and 9. In other words, the hook-up in this case is similar to that shown in Fig. 2 except that the member I is supported by the ends of the legs 4 in front of the axle so that the latter may be bent longitudinally of the vehicle.

When it is necessary to twist an axle to straighten it without removing it from a vehicle, I connect the member I with the axle by an L-shaped bar II and the clevis 1, see Figs. 5, 6 and '7. One leg I'Ia of the bar I1 passes beneath the axle 6 and the other leg I'Ib engages the rear edge of the spring support 6a formed on the axle and abuts the underside of the spring I8 secured to said support. 'I'he clevis 'I is passed around the upper side of the spring |8 and the clevis bolt 8 engages one of a series of notches I9 formed in the underside of the leg I'I. The end of the leg |Ia is secured by a bolt 20 to the extension Ia of the member I. It will be noted that in this case the bolt 20 passes through the space between the two parts of the extension and not through any of the holes 2. The hereinbefore mentioned block I4 is provided with an opening (not shown) which is spaced an unequal distance from its edges. If it is desired to employ the block to engage the bolt 20, the block is inserted in the space between the two parts of the extension Ia and turnedv until one edge contacts with the bolt 20 and the opening is registered with one set of holes 2. The block is secured as thus positioned by a bolt passing through said opening and holes. In practice, the bolt 2|) will hold the end of the bar I1 from movement during the most severe twisting operations and the use of the block is not necessary except as an emergency in an extraordinary case.

The twisting of the axle is accomplished by the jack II which, in this case, engages the underside of the rounded end 2|a of an arm 2| carried by a jaw 22 having a U-shaped recess adapted to receive that portion of the axle to be twisted. To facilitate the operation of the jack and to obtain the best results with a minimum of eiort on the part of the operator and the mechanism, the connection between the arm 2| and the jaw 22 is adjustable whereby the position and angle of the arm relative to the movable head of the jack and the line of travel thereoi may be respectively kept similar in the majority of cases. degrees of axle bends, the angle of the arm 2| to the line of travel of the head of the jack need not differ and the arm may also be positioned close to the lowered position oi the head of the jack at the commencement of each twisting operation. The arm 2| is pivoted at 23 on a lug 24 formed on one side of the jaw 22. On the arm is pivoted one end of a link 25 having a series of holes 26 at its other end. Beneath the lug 24 is another lug 2l having an opening therein for receiving a pin or bolt 28 which is adapted to be passed through any one of the holes 26 in the link to thus Vary the position That is to say, for different of the arm 2| relative to the jack head. If necessary, in extreme cases the jack may be shifted on the saddle 5 to engage the extension 5n thereof.

To twist the axle in the direction opposite that obtained with the parts positioned as in Figs. 5, 6 and 7, it would be merely necessary to reverse the parts relative to the axle.

The side of the jaw 22 remote from the lugs 24 and l2'1 is provided with a projection 29. By resting the jack on the inclined extension 5b it may be engaged with either the projection 29 or the lug 21 to straighten a slight twist in the axle.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A vehicle axle straightener comprising a rigid member; a substantially L shaped bar having two` legs, one leg being secured to said member and extended beneath an axle to be twisted while the axle is on the vehicle, the second leg being engaged with one side of the axle and abutted against one side of a part of the vehicle secured to the axle; means connecting the first mentioned leg of said L shaped bar with said part of the vehicle at the opposite side of said axle from said second leg; and means co-operating with said member for twisting the axle.

2. A vehicle axle straightener comprising a rigid member having an upright extension; a substantially L shaped bar having two legs, one leg being secured to said extension and extended beneath an axle to be twisted while the axle is on the vehicle, the second leg being engaged with one side of the axle and abutted against one side of a part of the vehicle secured to the axle; a clevis positioned at the other side of the axle, the clevis being engaged with the underside of the first leg and a side of the said part of the vehicle opposite that against which the second leg is abutted; and means co-operating with said member for twisting the axle.

3. A vehicle axle straightener comprising a rigid member having an upright extension; a substantially L shaped bar having two legs, one

leg being secured to said extension and extended beneath an axle to be twisted while the axle is on the Vehicle, the said leg having a series of notches in its underside, the second leg being engaged with one side of the axle and abutted against one side of a partei the vehicle secured 5 to the axle; a clevis positioned at the other side of the axle and engaged with a side of the said part of the vehicle opposite that against which the second leg is abutted, the clevis having a bolt for engaging one of the series of notches; and means cooperating with said member for twisting the axle.

4. A vehicle axle straightener comprising rigid member; means associated with said member and a portion of an axle to be twisted so that said portion of the axle will be held from twisting; a device for embracing another portion of the axle; an arm pivoted on said device; and adjustable means for locking said arm from movement relative to the device, the rigid member and the arm being adapted for engagement by pressure applying means to cause the axle to be twisted.

5. A vehicle axle straightener comprising Va rigid member; means associated with said member and a portion of an axle to be twisted so that said portion of the axle will be held from twisting; a device for embracing another portion of the axle; an arm pivoted on said device; a link pivoted on said arm and having a series of holes;

and means adapted to pass through any one of said holes for securing the link to the device at a point distant from the pivot of the arm, the rigid member and the arm being adapted f'or engagement by pressure applying means to cause the axle to be twisted.

6. A vehicle axle straightener comprising a rigid member; means for securing said member to a part of the vehiclev to Which one portion of an axle to be twisted is attached so that the rigid member will resist a twisting movement of said portion; a jaw for receiving another portion of the axle to be twisted; and an arm adjustably carried by said jaw to vary the angular relationship between said arm and jaw, the rigid member and the arm being adapted for engagement by pressure applying means to cause the axle to be twisted.

'7. A. vehicle axle straightener comprising a rigid member; a substantially L shaped bar having two legs, one leg being secured to said member and extended beneath an axle to be twisted while the axle is on the vehicle, the second leg being engaged with one side of the axle and abutted against one side of a part of the vehicle secured to the axle; means connecting the rst mentioned leg of said L shaped bar with said part of the vehicle at the opposite side of said axle from said second leg; a device for embracing a portion of the axle; an arm pivoted on said device; and adjustable means for locking said arm from movement relative to the device, the rigid member and the arm being adapted for engagement by pressure applying means to cause the axle to be twisted.

8. A vehicle axle straightener comprising a rigid member having an upright extension; means associated with said extension and a portion of an axle to be twisted so that said portion of the axle will be held from twisting; a device for embracing another portion of the axle; an arm pivoted on said device; and adjustable means for locking said arm from movement relative to the device, the rigid member and the arm being adapted for engagement by pressure applying means to cause the axle to be twisted.

WILLIAM JAMES JOHNSTON. 

